Edestus

Edestus is an extinct genus of eugeneodontid fish from the Pennsylvanian of the UK, Russia, and the United States. Similar to Helicoprion, it had tooth whorls which were embedded in the lower jaw. However, it also had teeth on its upper jaw. The largest species, E. heinrichi, is estimated to have reached greater than 6.7 m (22 ft) in length, around the size of the largest known great white shark, possibly making it the largest marine predator to have ever existed up to that point.^[1]

Its skeleton was made of cartilage. So if it decayed, it would vanish, unless preserved by exceptional circumstances.

The teeth of Edestus, much like the more famous Helicoprion, are serrated and located on a structure known as a tooth whorl.

• E. triserratus Newton, 1904 (syn Edestus minusculus Hay, 1909, Edestodus kolomnensis (Lebedev, 2001) Late Bashkirian to Moscovian, United States, United Kingdom and Russia
• E. minor Newberry in Newberry and Worthen, 1866 (syn E. mirus Hay, 1912E. pringlei Watson, 1930) Late Bashkirian to Moscovian, United States and United Kingdom

• E. heinrichi Newberry and Worthen, 1870 (syn E. protopirata Trautschold, 1879, Protopirata centrodon Trautschold, 1888, E. karpinskyi Missuna, 1908, E. crenulatus Hay, 1909, E. serratus Hay, 1909) Moscovian of the United States and Russia
• E. vorax Leidy, 1856 (syn E. giganteus Newberry, 1889) Moscovian of the United States

• Helicoprion

1. ↑ Engelman, Russell K. (2023). "A Devonian Fish Tale: A New Method of Body Length Estimation Suggests Much Smaller Sizes for Dunkleosteus terrelli (Placodermi: Arthrodira)". Diversity.

Media related to Edestus at Wikimedia Commons